Dual premiership Tiger "feeling the pull” amidst homecoming rumours

Dual Richmond premiership player Liam Baker is believed to be “genuinely feeling the pull” to return home to Western Australia.

The 26-year-old joined the Tigers via the 2018 rookie draft out of WAFL club Subiaco having grown up in Pingaring near Lake Grace, about four hours out of Perth.

Despite a fruitful career with the Tigers up to this point, SEN’s Sam Edmund reports the 119-gamer is edging closer to a rumoured shift to either West Coast or Fremantle.

“He’s continuing to weigh up his future,” Edmund told SEN’s Whateley.

“Stay at Richmond or return home to Perth and play for West Coast or Fremantle.

“There has been a series of meetings with his manager (Jason Dover from TLA) and the Richmond footy club in the last couple of months.

“Dual premiership player, he has achieved it all at the Tigers at 26 years of age.

“(He is) genuinely feeling the pull from WA and the longer this goes, the more you understand how these things generally play out.”

Edmund suggests that the recent uptick in form of the Eagles could potentially have a say in Baker’s decision-making.

“At the same time, he has been watching from afar these West Coast games late in the weekend with the Harley Reids of the world running amuck over there,” he added.

“The atmosphere and the environment that has returned to West Coast, you can understand the temptation to get back.”

Baker was a key part of the 2019 and 2020 premiership sides, re-signing on a two-year deal in 2022 following a second-place finish in the club’s best and fairest in 2021.

This season, Baker is averaging 22 disposals a game to go with three clearances as one of the most consistent players in a struggling Richmond side.